Nearly all business people know that they should keep in contact with old customers and clients, but many of them never do - or the contact is so infrequent it doesn't work. Find some new ways of getting in contact and you might be surprised what a difference it can make to your business.

There are still businesses out there that do not store contact details for all their current customers and clients. There are even more that completely ignore customers once they have stopped being an active customer. If someone has bought from you once they are far more likely to do it again - but it is up to you to keep reminding them that you are there. Conversion rates are far higher from old customers (assuming you have not disappointed them) and yet too often businesses spend longer trying to cold-sell than keeping in contact with old customers.

This applies just as much in Business to Business sales. Firstly many businesses let the salesman own the contact details. But if your salesman leaves and forgets to pass those contacts to you, you can never contact those old customers again. However big or small your business is, make sure the business holds the contact details not individuals. Secondly in business to business sales, people move on all the time, so it is even more important that you keep in contact with all your past customers - you never know where they may pop up in the future.

If you're afraid of seeming too pushy, here are some tricks to help:

• Always let old customers know any significant change - new products, changes in pricing, awards and so on - that could be just the thing they were waiting for to rebuy from you.

• Use big events like Christmas and birthdays to remind them where you are. Just remember to make it personal - no one feels good when they get a company christmas card that has obviously been sent to hundreds of people.

• Consider offering something just to existing and old customers that you wouldn't offer to a new customer - and make sure they known what they are getting. Lots of people do customer offers, but don't actually make it clear what they get that a new customer wouldn't.

• Don't fall into the trap of thinking that they already know about you. They may well do, but these days there are so many people to choose you need to be top of peoples minds.

Of course there is no guarantee that if you do this you will get a rush of orders. But many businesses simply do not try or try once a year which is just not enough. And certainly, hour for hour of your time, you'll get better results from your old customers than someone who has never used you.

Take action NOW and find a reason to connect with your old customers this week.